Swimming champ Libby Trickett reveals her top dieting tips.
Libby Trickett is the epitome of physical fitness, with her ultra-toned body and boundless energy. But even this Olympic swimming champion admits eating enough of the right foods to fuel her physical activity without gaining extra fat is a delicate balance, particularly now that she's taking an extended break from training to consider her future. Today the golden girl of the pool reveals her diet secrets, with top tips on how body+soul readers can improve their performance, whether in the pool, gym or the great outdoors.
Trickett, 24, says what she eats is just as important as her training regime in determining how well she swims in competitions. "You only put in what you need," she says. "It's definitely important to enjoy your food, but you absolutely have to give your body what it needs."
Despite the fact that they burn large amounts of kilojoules while training, athletes don't just rely on loading up on carbohydrates to keep them going. Fruit and vegetables should play a major role in any sportsperson's diet, says Trickett. "They're really important for vitamins, minerals and fibre, and fruits in particular are a great food to snack on in between training sessions to satisfy sugar cravings and hunger pangs," she says. Before a workout, Trickett suggests eating some fruit for energy rather than overloading your body with a heavy meal.
Determining the right amount of carbohydrates for your personal energy needs can be tricky. "It's important for me to have a lot of protein and carbs with regards to training and recovery," Trickett says. "But it's also important not to have too many and that's a little trial and error." Trickett recommends having carbs at every meal, but tailoring intake according to your activity levels. For example, on a training day, you can have more, but during a rest, cut down.
The Australian Institute of Sport recommends consuming five to seven grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight if you do less than 60 to 90 minutes of exercise a day. As a guide, a 25-gram serving could be two slices of bread, a cup of cereal, a banana or 100 grams of pasta.
After training, Trickett dives into her bag for an immediate protein fix. "It's important to get recovery within 20 minutes of finishing your exercise, so I like to have a protein bar or a protein shake," she says. Protein helps repair and build the body's muscles, which can break down after an intense workout. Following Trickett's advice may also help reduce post-training muscle soreness.
We all need a bit of fat to keep our bodies in peak condition, but it's the type of fat that really matters. Nuts, avocados and oily fish provide good, unsaturated fats that can give us energy, aid vitamin absorption, maintain the nervous system and prevent disease.
Trickett is no advocate of self-denial and says she regularly enjoys a bit of what she fancies. "I try not to totally deprive myself of foods that I enjoy eating," she says. "I like ice-cream but because of my asthma I try to only have this on weekends when I'm not training. Otherwise, I have three dessert nights a week." Another weakness, she admits, is chocolate, but Trickett tries to limit it to a sensible ''few squares" at a sitting, instead of polishing off a family-sized block.
If you want to boost your fitness, resist the urge to skip your run or gym class, Trickett says. "Being consistent in your exercise routines is crucial. Everyone is so busy these days, it's easy to forget about your health and wellbeing. "It's important to have variety, so try different types of exercise and you'll see better results. Plus, maintaining a healthy eating plan and indulging occasionally should make things more enjoyable overall."
Breakfast Muesli and yoghurt or porridge made with Vitasoy soy milk and honey.
Lunch Ham and salad sandwiches on wholegrain bread.
Dinner Plate of pasta followed by dessert (only three times a week).